SAN JUAN DE ULÚA. 193 in the city itself was a garrison of trained soldiers, and several thousand men could be concentrated within twenty-four hours from the interior. The enterprise was a bold one, and by many deemed too hazardous; but the filibusters were now assembled in force, mustering probably about a thousand strong, and their leaders were men fertile of resource. 2 Ce fut en l'année 1683, après avoir fait une revue générale de la flotte, qui se trouva montée de deux cens Flibustiers, tous gens d'élite.' Esquemelin, Hist. Flib., i. 269. Probably the 200 included only the French contingent. They numbered over 1,000. Rivera, Gov. Mex., i. 255. 800 men, Cavo, ii. 63-4. The expedition consisted of 960 men, a motley gathering, including French, English, Spaniards, mulattoes, and Indians. Mosaico, i. 407. 8,000 men, Robles, Diario, i. 370; Zamacois, v. 438. The last estimate HIST. MEX., VOL, III. 13 Laurent, or as he is more frequently known by the chroniclers Lorencillo, by which name we shall henceforth call him, was appointed commander of the fleet, while Van Horn was in charge of the land forces. The former is described as a tall, well proportioned, and handsome man; light-haired and comely of aspect, a generous ruffian withal, though of course always alieni profusus, and one very popular among his comrades. He was in fact a model corsair. It is not recorded that he was ever guilty of quite such diabolic atrocities as were laid to the charge of Morgan or L'Olonnois, but if we can believe the Spanish records of this period, his deeds were sufficiently diabolical to be interesting. It is there stated that while still a youth he was punished by an alcalde of Tabasco for some offence. Vowing vengeance he disappeared, and not long afterward returned with a gang of malefactors who sacked and burned the town and outraged the women. But the account given by Esquemelin, one of his fraternity, and probably the more truthfuĺ version is that, being captured by pirates while serving on board a Spanish vessel, he consented to join the buccaneers. This writer describes the character of his favorite hero in glowing colors, giving him credit for all the qualities of a true gentleman, and remarking with amusing naiveté that his only fault was his impatience and a habit of swearing a little too frequently.* Toward sunset on the 17th of May,5 1683, two large ships flying Spanish colors were seen to the leeward of Vera Cruz, crowding all sail to make the port, for a is of course absurd. Robles himself gives them only 15 vessels, while in the Mosaico are mentioned 11 ships and nine piraguas, one of the former being mounted with 50 guns, according to the author of West Indies, Geog. and Hist., 146, the other ships having in all 124 guns. This chronicler places the land forces at 1,200. 3 list. Flib., i. 276 et seq. * Id., i. 276. 5 The 9th of May in Sharp's Voyages, 116. The 17th is the date given in Villarroel, Invasion Vera Cruz; Lerdo de Tejada, Apunt. Hist., 273. Although the latter is somewhat contradictory as to dates in relating the sack of Vera Cruz, he is probably right in this instance. THE CITY SURPRISED. 195 league or two farther out at sea was a strong squadron apparently in pursuit. At nightfall, the Spaniards on the island and mainland made fires to guide them into the harbor, for they were supposed to be two vessels laden with cacao that were now due from the coast of Caracas. The pursuing squadron had changed its course when the ships neared the fort, casting anchor a short distance from the city, and the townsfolk went to vespers and to rest as usual, apprehending no danger. About an hour after midnight a few musket shots were heard, but the inhabitants, supposing a serenade was being given to some prominent citizen, remained quietly in bed. The town was well garrisoned; the castle of San Juan de Ulúa was the strongest fortress in the New World, and to add to the feeling of security, the great fleet was daily expected from Spain. Never, for years, had the citizens been more free from alarm than when they awoke at sunrise and prepared to go about their daily avocations. The church bells tolled as usual for matins, and the people set forth to obey the summons. But no matins were said that morning in Vera Cruz; for those who first made their appearance in the streets found them guarded by parties of armed men, and soon the dread news spread from house to house that pirates were in possession of the city. The buccaneers had obtained information from prisoners captured off the coast of the two ships laden with cacao that were hourly expected at Vera Cruz, and this information had suggested the stratagem already related. On board the vessels which the Spaniards had supposed to be thus laden was the main body of the pirates, captains Van Horn and Lorencillo in charge. During the night nearly eight hundred men, armed to the teeth, had landed at a distance of less than a league from Vera Cruz, and guided by slaves had crept stealthily on the city, surprised the 6 Sharp's Vogages (London, 1684), 116; Burney's Hist. Bucc., 127. forts, and made themselves masters of the place with the loss of only four men." Lorencillo had recommended that a party be sent to surprise the fortress of San Juan de Ulúa, and if his advice had been taken, the pirates might have remained masters of Vera Cruz long enough to obtain an immense ransom. But this was deemed too hazardous, and they resolved to plunder the town and make good their retreat as speedily as possible. The doors of the houses were battered in and the panic-stricken inhabitants dragged forth without regard to age, sex, or condition, into the public square, and soon afterward lodged in the principal churches, where, by nine o'clock in the morning, over six thousand persons were confined, most of them being placed in the parish church. For three days and nights they were kept without food or drink, while the buccaneers plundered the city, and when at length water and a small dole of food were given to them, many died from drinking 8 'Three of these were killed by their own comrades, who mistook them in the darkness for Spaniards. Sharp's Voyages, 117. There is considerable discrepancy among the authorities as to the particulars of the capture of Vera Cruz. In Sharp's Voy., it is stated that the buccaneers landed 774 men, who by break of day had made themselves masters of the town and forts on the mainland, and that after stationing guards at the streets 'they sent parties to break open the houses, where they found everybody as quiet as in their graves.' Villarroel's version is that on the 18th of May the pirates landed 600 men, who reached the city at 4 o'clock in the morning and charged through the streets firing their muskets and crying 'Long live the king of France!' The garrison, he says, rushed to arms, but were shot down or captured as soon as they appeared, while all the citizens who attempted to leave their houses met with a similar fate. Villarroel, Invasion Vera Cruz, in Lerdo de Tejada, Apunt. Hist., 274-5, 285. Esquemelin, Hist. Flib., i. 271, states that the inhabitants remained quietly in their beds, 'jusqu'à ce que l'heure de se lever fût venue; mais alors ils furent bien surpris d'apprendre que les Flibustiers étoient maîtres de leur ville.' Esquemelin's account seems to be the more probable on this point, for the pirates, having possession of the forts which commanded the city, had nothing to gain by rousing up the inhabitants by night, and thus giving them a chance to escape during the darkness. The stratagem by which the buccaneers contrived to make their landing undiscovered is related in Burney's Hist. Bucc., 127, and is apparently taken from Esquemelin, and the author of Sharp's Voyages, though neither mention that the buccaneer flcet appeared in chase of the two vessels. Such a ruse was, however, very likely to have been adopted. 8 Villarroel, Invasion Vera Cruz, in Lerdo de Tejada, Apunt. Hist., 274–5. In Sharp's Voy., 118, the number is given at 5,700, all of whom were confined in the parish church; but it is not probable that the building would contain so many. SPOILS AND RANSOMS. 197 immoderately. Meanwhile the ruffians who kept guard over them mocked at the wailings of the women who begged of them in vain to save the lives of their little ones. The captives were told that they were all to be burned alive, and barrels of powder were placed in their sight at the doors of the church, ready to blow up the building in case they should attempt resistance. Not a woman escaped outrage, and each day they were driven off in bands, like cattle, to satisfy the lust of their tormentors.9 A quantity of plate was found in the churches, and the altars and sacred images were stripped of every article of value; but these were only a small portion of the spoils. Besides the property of the inhabitants, the pirates secured large amounts of specie, bullion, and merchandise which had arrived at Vera Cruz in transit for Spain. Among the plunder was much valuable jewelry and about three hundred bags of cochineal, each weighing from a hundred and fifty to two hundred pounds. 10 The freebooters were not yet satisfied, however, and suspecting that some of the wealthier citizens had secreted their treasure, put several to the torture," again threatening to burn the parish church with its inmates unless all their valuables were delivered up. Thereupon, one of the priests ascended the pulpit and besought the captives to surrender their property in order to save their lives. Thus a further large amount was obtained. For the ransom of the governor, who was found hidden under a pile of grass in a stable, the sum of seventy thousand pesos was paid. Troops of mounted Spaniards now appeared on the outskirts of the town, and occasionally made a dash 'Las mugeres pasaron muchos travajos, porque su maldad no reservava blanca, ni prieta, ni doncella ni casada, que á fuerza de su vigor no las sacasen, llevandolas á forzarlas. Siendo este caso una de las cosas mas sensibles.' Villarroel, Invasion V. Cruz, 275. 10 Esquemelin estimates the value of the booty at 6,000,000 crowns, but this must be an exaggeration. Hist. Flib., i. 272. 11 Among these was one Gaspar de Herrera, who was suspended by the private parts until he was nearly dead. Mosaico, i. 401. |